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Söka eller browsa? : En undersökning om personliga mönster i sökbeteendet vid informationssökning på nätet

Fransson, Jonas (2005)
Division of ALM and Digital Cultures
Abstract
This Master's thesis in Library and Information Science aims to explore if personal patterns can be detected in web-searching. It is based on a study where the search sessions of nine test persons were video-recorded, transcribed into logs and analysed.

A major objective was to find out whether there is a correlation between individual searchers' personal attributes and their web search behaviour. The logs were therefore compared with the test persons' results in a learning style test (Kolb's Learning Style Inventory) and with interview answers about information behaviour and personal background.

While several patterns were indeed discovered, none of them turned out to be strictly personal. The nine test persons could be divided into... (More)
This Master's thesis in Library and Information Science aims to explore if personal patterns can be detected in web-searching. It is based on a study where the search sessions of nine test persons were video-recorded, transcribed into logs and analysed.

A major objective was to find out whether there is a correlation between individual searchers' personal attributes and their web search behaviour. The logs were therefore compared with the test persons' results in a learning style test (Kolb's Learning Style Inventory) and with interview answers about information behaviour and personal background.

While several patterns were indeed discovered, none of them turned out to be strictly personal. The nine test persons could be divided into five types of searchers: the purely analytic searcher; the generally analytic searcher; the balanced searcher; the mixed searcher and the browser. All types of searchers were found to have the attribute learning style in common. The browsers generally scored high on the value "Accomodator" in the learning style test, whereas the analytic searchers had high scores in "Reflective Observation".

This study leads to new questions. Do all persons belong to one of the five types of searchers discovered? Are there more types of searchers, which would be discovered in a larger study? Do search patterns like the ones discussed in this thesis relate to information seeking in general or just to web searching? A more extensive study could shed light on these new questions. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
@misc{1332351,
  abstract     = {{This Master's thesis in Library and Information Science aims to explore if personal patterns can be detected in web-searching. It is based on a study where the search sessions of nine test persons were video-recorded, transcribed into logs and analysed.

A major objective was to find out whether there is a correlation between individual searchers' personal attributes and their web search behaviour. The logs were therefore compared with the test persons' results in a learning style test (Kolb's Learning Style Inventory) and with interview answers about information behaviour and personal background.

While several patterns were indeed discovered, none of them turned out to be strictly personal. The nine test persons could be divided into five types of searchers: the purely analytic searcher; the generally analytic searcher; the balanced searcher; the mixed searcher and the browser. All types of searchers were found to have the attribute learning style in common. The browsers generally scored high on the value "Accomodator" in the learning style test, whereas the analytic searchers had high scores in "Reflective Observation".

This study leads to new questions. Do all persons belong to one of the five types of searchers discovered? Are there more types of searchers, which would be discovered in a larger study? Do search patterns like the ones discussed in this thesis relate to information seeking in general or just to web searching? A more extensive study could shed light on these new questions.}},
  author       = {{Fransson, Jonas}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Söka eller browsa? : En undersökning om personliga mönster i sökbeteendet vid informationssökning på nätet}},
  year         = {{2005}},
}